


Sing Me Anything...

by DreadPirateEmma



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Song fic, silly little thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-22 17:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13768953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreadPirateEmma/pseuds/DreadPirateEmma
Summary: A quick little Modern AU one-shot where Emma realizes her feelings for Killian.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been going through a rough time recently, and I decided/promised myself that one of the things that would make me feel better was to get back into writing. So while I work on my magnum opus, I’m trying shorter one-shots to just get back in the habit. This was written in 30 minutes, is unedited, un-beta’ed, and runs about 830 words. The title comes from the Straylight Run song “Existentialism on Prom Night” which is referenced below.

They were the only ones down on the beach road; this time of year, mid-February, it didn’t hold as much attraction to most people as it did in the warmer months. But Emma didn’t care, being by the water was always calming to her. And now that she was living in a place where the beach was a ten minute drive away, Emma spent as much time as she could soaking it in.

Killian was only too happy to take her when she would ask. He knew her situation was less than ideal, living in a group home patiently waiting to age out of the system; in turn, she knew his own not much better, living with an almost entirely absent alcoholic father, waiting patiently to join his brother in the Navy and get the hell out of dodge. The lonely boy and the lost girl… what a pair they were. Not that either of them acknowledged that they were in fact a pair, they just were. 

They’d been driving around aimlessly for hourly now, both avoiding home and not wanting to be away from the other. They were in companionable silence, the only noises were the rumble of Killian’s old Chevelle and the music acting as white noise to Emma’s thoughts. She had her cheek resting on the leather of the interior door, peering out the window through her sunglasses towards the bay side of the highway getting lost in her own thoughts. It was the perfect kind of lazy afternoon, where the sun peering into the windshield was enough to warm her against the chill just outside. The perfect kind of moment that she never wanted to end…

The sound of piano chords cut through her thoughts as a familiar song began on the radio. She loved this song, a local band made good from the ashes of post-hardcore emo that this area was known for. Truth be told, it reminded her so much of Killian and this thing between them that Emma was certain that’s why she adored it the way she did. It was a simple song, something that fit the way she felt… felt like it was written for her to him. The song starts to build to crescendo, becoming louder and more intense as the simple piano chords gives way to other instruments. Killian shifted the car into gear, reaching for Emma’s hand, breaking her from her thoughts as the music hit it’s climax. Emma turned her head from the scenery around to to look at him, and Killian smiled as her.

It crushed into her chest like thousands of bricks had just fallen onto her. Emma Swan was completely, and ridiculously in love with Killian Jones. The feeling stayed as her heart began to slam against her rib cage. Emma’s hands started to sweat and her thoughts ran a mile a minute, racing to catch up to the speed of her heart. She loved him. She was absolutely, 100% stupidly in love with this boy sitting next to her. She was frozen in her place in fear; there was no way she could tell him. It was too much, too quick. And Killian was leaving for the Navy at the end of the year and where would she be? She didn’t even have a plan! She couldn’t tell him… 

So she sat there, staring at him in complete awe of him and terrified of what she was feeling. And of course Killian noticed the shift in her demeanor as the smile he’d had slipped from his face as the song ended.

“Everything alright there, Swan?”

Emma nodded, too afraid to open her mouth lest her tongue betray her and tell Killian that everything was not alright because she was in love with him and had no idea how to even start processing that feeling. Even through his sunglasses, she could tell his blue eyes were laser focused on her and knew she wasn’t giving him the whole truth, but he let it go and accepted her at her word. Because that was the kind of guy Killian was. He never pushed her for anything, always willing to let her to take the lead. He deserved so much better than poor, damaged Emma. 

Without another word, he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a sweet kiss to her knuckles before releasing it to return his focus on driving. Emma sighed, replaying the past few moments in her head like a music video. A surge of something like bravery took over her then and she turned to him again…

“Killian, I…”

He looked at her again, his glasses sliding down his nose slightly, waiting for her to speak… almost as if he was willing her to make her confession.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go to that diner later?”

“Aye love. Grilled cheese and onion rings seems like a good way to end the day.”

She would tell him… one day…


	2. part ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for cadetsgtblondie, because that was the only comment left, and it was a request for more and made me feel good :)

It took forever to get off the island and over the bridge. Not that Emma should have expected any less, it was a summer Friday in New York; it's just that usually that meant the traffic was going east towards the Hamptons, rather than west into Jersey. They had driven for the most part in companionship silence, listening to the radio, her lost in thought and him trying to not let road rage get the better of him. (“Swan I'm certain they’re following us.” “Killian, one… traffic. Two… they literally held up a sign asking us if we were going to the show and if they could follow. Calm down.”) 

Killian had been on edge all day, Emma noticed but didn’t say anything. It seemed to be happening more and more recently, especially after graduation. Emma wasn’t really sure what to make of it; it seemed like he and Liam were always fighting and she and Killian spent more and more time away from their place. Even though she was graduated, Emma was still seventeen until October therefore was still under Ingrid’s care; and where Killian and Liam seemed to be drifting apart, Emma and Ingrid had only gotten closer. The other kids had aged out of her care, and Ingrid hadn’t taken in any additional fosters since. The blondes developed a sisterly relationship, the closest thing Emma had ever had to family.

She looked across to Killian, and slid her hand over the top of his where it was resting on the clutch. He looked over to her and she offered a smile, relieved that he responded in kind. It was supposed to be a good day, a fun day. They spent the night on his “ship” (he called it a ship, really it was a small Buccaneer 220 that was older than both of them he and Liam had been fixing up for longer than she’d known them.) It wasn’t comfortable by any means, but to her being out on the water under the stars with him was perfect. She’d almost finally confessed last night something she’d known for months now, but the old fear crept up on her… that everything she loves she eventually loses. 

They’d spent a lazy morning on the water, motoring in just before noon to stop and grab sandwiches from the deli, a quick shower at Ingrid’s and off they went again, headed west for New Jersey to a concert they’d been looking forward to for months. But, Killian was acting weird. He was quiet and sort of withdrawn/introspective, Emma couldn’t put her finger on it but she definitely didn’t like it, running back the past few days trying to decipher if she’d done anything to put him off so. 

They reached the Prudential Center with an hour to kill before the doors opened. Were it not for the low music, they’d have been sitting in silence and Emma couldn’t take it anymore.

“What gives?”

“Pardon?”

“You heard me,” she insisted. “What the hell is wrong with you today.”

“Nothing, Swan. Truly.”

“Lie.”

It stung, because he knew she would know, and he lied any way. And with that lie, Emma’s mind started to race. Why would he lie to her? Why would he tell her he was fine, when clearly he wasn’t? What had she done that was bothering him - because it had to be something she’d done, right? Oh god, what if he was getting ready to dump her and this was their last hurrah?

His heaving sigh brought her back to the present. He reached behind his ear to scratch at his neck, a tick Emma recognized since he always did it right before he said something that made him nervous. She steeled herself against whatever was about to come, quickly rebuilding up walls that he’d spent the last year tearing away.

“Swan, I…” he hesitated.

“Just spit it out, Killian!” she bite out, far more harshly than was necessary, drawing a resolved sigh from his lips.

“Liam bought a new house.”

She blinked, because of all the things he could have said, that was definitely down of her list of “least expected”. Seeing her confusion, Killian continued.

“He bought a house, and a new boat, and a business actually. Well, the boat is the business really, but -”

“Is that why you two have been fighting so much?” she asking, shifting in the passenger seat to turn her body towards him more. “I don’t understand Killian, that all sounds good?”

“It’s all in Florida, love.” Emma’s stomach dropped. “Key West actually. Liam bought some old brigantine called The Jewel of the Realm, for private charters and sunset cruises and who the bloody hell knows what else. It’s quite successful, Captain Roberts assured him. The bloke isn’t that much older than Liam and is already retiring. It’s a great opportunity for us, so I’ve been told…”

As Killian rambled, Emma had bounced around in her seat again, facing forward and staring out the windshield. Florida. And not just Florida but the absolute further south he could possibly get in the continental United States, almost 1,500 miles from where she would be. He was leaving her; he was leaving her and she never told him she loved him. It’s better that way, she suddenly reasoned. She never said it outloud, it wasn’t real then, right? Her heart was hammering in her chest, while her thoughts raced. The sound her pulse in her ears almost kept her from hearing him as he went on.

“... And Liam doesn’t want to wait because we really can’t afford to pay rent on the house here and the place down on Florida and we inherited an already booked a bloody vow renewal for the beginning of August. And he can’t do it all without me either -”

“Wait? Wait for what?”

He stopped and looked at her like she’d spontaneously sprouted another head. “For what? For October at least,” he responded as if it were the most obvious thing.

“Why?”

“Well because I know technically you are still in the foster system until your birthday.”

“What does that matter? What different do I make to your plans?”

“What do you - Emma,” he reached over to cup her face and turn her to look at him. The world stopped racing the moment she caught his too blue eyes. He smiled at her, that cocky half smile he always shot her that turned her stomach into a mess of butterflies. “I’m sorry. I should have - I wanted to tell you last night, I wanted to talk to you about this… I was hoping you would come with me.”

“Why?” and she flinched because it was the wrong thing to say at that time and she knew it, but she had to hear him say it.

“Don’t you know? Emma, I love you. I - you’re my best friend Swan and I can’t imagine life without you. And I should have talked to you about this months ago, but I was scared you’d say no and I know you are technically under Ingrid’s care until your birthday so I thought I had some more time, but Liam’s being a bit of a git and -”

She cut him off with a crushing kiss. Or as crushing of a kiss as she could manage over the center console of the Chevelle. They both huffed out a laugh when they broke apart and rested their foreheads together.

“I love you so much,” she told him. “I have for along time. I was afraid to tell you because, if I said it, that made it real. And if it was real, you could hurt me. Everyone I have ever known has disappointed me -”

“I know, Swan, but I -” he started but she pressed her finger to his lips.

“I should have known. You’re different, Killian. You always have been. I know you’d never hurt me.”

“Your heart’s desire, Swan, that’s all I want.”

“I know. We’ll figure this out.”

They stayed like that until it was no longer comfortable, and when they broke apart, they walked into the arena hand in hand. They stood in the general admission amongst the crowd, Killian behind her wrapped with her arms around her waist swaying to the music around them. They were young and in love, and that’s all that mattered to her. And as the band came out for the encore, and started in the beginning of the song that had been playing in the car all those months ago when she realized just how much she loved him Emma felt a warm tingling creep up her spine and flush through her body.

This is not the end, it’s just the beginning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> un-beta'ed, unedited, mistakes were entirely my own. Thanks for reading!


End file.
